Tokyo Onmyoji BL Game and My Dear Frankenstein Localizations Announced

Moonchime Studios announced today that they are localizing two new Japanese indie games for PC, the 18+ BL title Tokyo Onmyoji -The Tale of Rei Tengenjibashi- (Japanese title 東京陰陽師) and the point and click adventure game My Dear Frankenstein (Japanese title 愛しのフランケンシュタイン). Tokyo Onmyoji is scheduled to release for PC on JAST USA and other unannounced platforms in Q4 2021, and My Dear Frankenstein will release for PC and Mac on Steam this summer (winter if you’re in the southern hemisphere).

Both titles look really fun, but I’m particularly excited to see another publisher releasing BL games in English, and this is Moonchime‘s first foray into the genre after their first localization, the otome game I Love You!, released for PC for free in late 2020. Tokyo Onmyoji by Holicworks was originally released in Japan in 2014 and centers on Rei Tengenjibashi, an onmyoji for hire who exterminates demons. There are four romanceable characters, gorgeous art by Akira Sakamoto and fully-voiced characters. For more information on the story and cast, see Moonchime’s official announcement.

My Dear Frankenstein has a lovely fairytale-like art style and features a story inspired by Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Players control Adam, a newly-created monster who must explore the City of Shipberry for pieces of his heart that were scattered throughout. Players who like point-and-click adventure games and moving narratives should keep an eye out for a release date in the upcoming months! You can read more about My Dear Frankenstein on Moonchime’s announcement page.

Both of these games look right up my alley, so I’m really excited to check them out when they’re released! Moonchime Studios is shaping up to be a publisher to follow closely if you like visual novels and alternative indie Japanese games. I can’t wait to see what titles get added to their lineup in the future!

The Wonderful 101 Remastered Review

10 / 8 / 2010 / 8 / 20

The Wonderful 101 is among the company of Pikmin 3 as one of a handful of Wii U games that actually attempted to utilize the gamepad in different ways. That made them seem like they couldn’t be translated to single-screen systems, but the developers have managed! And that’s a great thing, because now with The Wonderful 101 Remastered, more players have the chance to pick up one of PlatinumGames’ most unique titles.

Developed by PlatinumGames and originally released in 2013, The Wonderful 101 is an action-adventure game where you control a slew of superheroes called Wonderful Ones (of which there are, unsurprisingly, 100) to fight aliens. With its cartoony art style and isometric view, it looks and feels a bit like Viewtiful Joe plus Pikmin, which makes sense considering both Viewtiful Joe and The Wonderful 101 were directed by Hideki Kamiya and produced by Atsushi Inaba.

There’s also an additional multiplayer mode, if that’s your jam!

In addition to standard attacks for the main Wonderful One you’re currently controlling and a group attack to direct your current minions, The Wonderful 101 Remastered‘s gameplay consists of drawing various symbols with the right analog stick, mouse, or on the Switch touch screen or Dualshock touchpad depending on the system you’re playing on (the remaster is available for PC, Switch, and PS4). This initiates different Unite Morphs, which are Power Rangers/tokusatsu-style weapons created by assembling all of the Wonderful Ones.

For the most part, these symbols can be drawn relatively easily with the analog stick or the touch screen – in my case, I played on the Switch, usually in handheld mode, but I found it too cumbersome to do the touch screen input in the heat of battle. In fact, The Wonderful 101 Remastered has a pretty high learning curve, and I pretty quickly found things surprisingly tough on the normal difficulty despite being familiar with the “Platinum standard.”

It doesn’t help that when playing on the Switch on portable mode – one of my favorite ways to play games these days – everything is much too small, from the characters to the text as well the popup menu that has replaced the Wii U’s second screen. The Wonderful 101 is definitely built for the big screen, which makes sense since it originally came out on the Wii U. Plus, it has the perfect Saturday morning cartoon feel!

Adding to the Saturday morning cartoon feel is the game’s levels, which are divided into operations. You’re scored on each operation, encouraging replays, and between each operation, you can purchase upgrades and new abilities. There are some new additions to the menu such icons that indicate upgrades that are recommended to purchase, but the remaster wouldn’t suffer by having a better introduction to the surprisingly complex gameplay mechanics.

Unfortunately, after a handful of hours with The Wonderful 101 Remastered, I still didn’t really feel like I had my head around the gameplay, unlike PlatinumGames titles such as Bayonetta or Nier Automata where I quickly clicked with the combat. The characters and dialogue, however, are humorous and endearing, and each new antic brought a smile to my face.

If you have the patience to stick with it long enough to get the hang of the fast-paced gameplay, you’ll be rewarded with a lighthearted, arcade-style experience. It may take me a while to chip away at it, but as a fan of PlatinumGames’ unabashed style and dedication to creating unique experiences, I’m going to do my best to see The Wonderful 101 Remasteredthrough!

First Impressions: Eternal Hope – Prologue

7 / 14 / 207 / 14 / 20

When I heard the upcoming platformer Eternal Hope by Brazilian developer Doublehit Games was inspired in part by the works of Studio Ghibli, it immediately caught my interest. The game is scheduled to launch on PC on August 6 and Xbox One later this year, and was voted “Best Brazilian Game” by IGN at Brazil Game Show 2019, and it’s not hard to see why – the visuals are striking, and it looks like it will be perfect for those who like puzzle platfomers.

First Impressions: Heave Ho

6 / 8 / 206 / 8 / 20

Heave Ho, a couch co-op multiplayer game for Nintendo Switch and PC/Mac developed by Le Cartel Studio, has been on my radar since it came out mid last year, especially after watching the hilarious Quick Look for it on Giant Bomb. With a 50% off sale on the Nintendo Switch eShop and some friends coming over to visit now that quarantine restrictions in Australia have been largely lifted, I figured this was the perfect time to try it out!

Interview with Eric Roth, Conductor of New World: Intimate Music from FINAL FANTASY

1 / 18 / 201 / 18 / 20

Interview with Eric Roth A New World Intimate Music from Final Fantasy

Not all conductors who work who go on tour with famous singers such as Weird Al Yankovitch see video game music as something worthy of performing in concert halls, but Eric Roth certainly does. After working with his father, Arnie Roth, on the Distant Worlds: Music from FINAL FANTASY, Eric started A New World: Intimate Music from FINAL FANTASY, a chamber ensemble concert production, in 2014, and currently works as the producer and conductor.

While Distant Worlds focuses on grand, epic renditions of classic Final Fantasy music for a symphonic orchestra, as the title suggests, A New World takes on a much more intimate approach, offering its own unique take on the Final Fantasy music we know and love.

As a big fan of Final Fantasy music since Final Fantasy VII wowed me in the late 90s, I was thrilled to have the chance to speak with Eric about how A New World came to be, the process of translating Final Fantasy music into a chamber concert format, Eric’s personal favorite song from the program, and more!